Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Museum Large Los Angeles art museum with diverse global collections
On Los Angeles’s Miracle Mile, LACMA displays ancient to contemporary art across galleries and outdoor installations. Tourists note its permanent collections and the Urban Light installation by Chris Burden outside the museum.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is the largest art museum in the western United States, located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile district of Los Angeles. The museum holds a broad collection of art spanning ancient to contemporary works and is known for prominent outdoor installations.
Museum galleries present art from around the world across many periods and media, with roughly hundreds of thousands of works in the wider collection. The site’s outdoor artworks, notably Urban Light and Levitated Mass, are major visitor attractions and public landmarks.
LACMA grew from earlier county art institutions and opened on the Miracle Mile site in the mid-20th century, expanding its collection and campus through the following decades. The museum has added contemporary installations and dedicated buildings for significant collections over time.
Located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile, the museum sits adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits and is several miles west of downtown Los Angeles, within reach by car and public transport.
- Plaza access and admission: The outdoor installations on Wilshire Boulevard are free to view from the public plaza; gallery entry requires museum admission and may offer timed tickets.
- Location relative to central LA: The site is located in the Miracle Mile district near the La Brea Tar Pits and is a short drive or public-transport ride from central Los Angeles.
What to See #
- Urban Light: Urban Light - an outdoor installation of 202 restored cast-iron street lamps installed at the museum entrance in 2008 and commonly used as a public photo spot.
- Levitated Mass: Levitated Mass - a large-scale 340-ton granite boulder installed in the museum's plaza in 2012 as a site-specific sculpture with an inviting walkway beneath it.
- Collection scope: Museum collection - a broad collection across painting, sculpture, decorative arts, photography and film, numbering roughly in the low hundreds of thousands of works spanning global and historical ranges.
How to Get to Los Angeles County Museum of Art #
LACMA sits on Wilshire Boulevard at Fairfax in the Miracle Mile / Museum Row district. It is served by Metro and local buses that run along Wilshire (including the frequent Wilshire Rapid 720) and by the DASH Fairfax circulator; the Wilshire/Fairfax bus stop is a short 2-5 minute walk to the museum. There is on-site paid parking (Pritzker Garage) if driving; follow Wilshire Boulevard to the Fairfax intersection.
Tips for Visiting Los Angeles County Museum of Art #
- Visit on a weekday morning soon after opening to avoid large weekend and late-afternoon crowds; start with a temporary exhibition or a less-photographed collection to make the most of quieter galleries.
- Photograph Chris Burden's Urban Light installation at the Wilshire entrance either right after sunrise or after dark when the lamps are lit; those time windows give you the fewest people in your frame.
- Check the museum's website and book timed-entry tickets in advance for special exhibitions, since blockbuster shows often require a timed ticket and sell out on busy days.
Best Time to Visit Los Angeles County Museum of Art #
Aim for weekdays and morning hours year-round; spring and fall offer pleasant outdoor conditions and generally lower crowds than peak summer weekends.
Weather & Climate near Los Angeles County Museum of Art #
Los Angeles County Museum of Art's climate is classified as Hot Semi-Arid - Hot Semi-Arid climate with warm summers (peaking in August) and cool winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 8°C to 28°C. Semi-arid with limited rainfall with a pronounced dry season.
January
January is the coolest month with highs of 20°C and lows of 8°C. Moderate rainfall (78 mm).
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February
February is cool with highs of 21°C and lows of 9°C. The wettest month with 79 mm of rain.
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March
March is cool with highs of 21°C and lows of 10°C. Moderate rainfall (64 mm).
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April
April is cool with highs of 23°C and lows of 11°C. Light rainfall.
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May
May is mild with highs of 23°C and lows of 13°C. Almost no rain.
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June
June is mild with highs of 25°C and lows of 15°C. Almost no rain.
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July
July is mild with highs of 28°C and lows of 17°C. The driest month with just 0 mm.
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August
August is the warmest month with highs of 28°C and lows of 17°C. Almost no rain.
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September
September is mild with highs of 28°C and lows of 16°C. Almost no rain.
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October
October is mild with highs of 26°C and lows of 14°C. Almost no rain.
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November
November is cool with highs of 23°C and lows of 10°C. Moderate rainfall (41 mm).
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December
December is cool with highs of 20°C and lows of 8°C. Moderate rainfall (49 mm).
